Visionary
philanthropists, conservationists
and elected officials knew at the
end of the 19th century that this
nation's great natural landscapes
needed to be preserved for future
generations. They acted, and vast
areas of wilderness were set aside
that still remain splendid and unique.
These areas became part of the National
Park System, which has grown to include
not only natural beauty but cultural
and historical treasures as well.

Recognizing
that private funding is essential
to help protect and enhance the legacy
of our National Parks, in 1967 Congress
chartered the National Park Foundation
(NPF). The NPF serves as the official
nonprofit partner of the National
Park Service (NPS) and works to honor,
enrich and expand the legacy of private
philanthropy that helped create and
continues to sustain America's National
Parks.

NPF
seeks donations and gifts from individuals,
corporations and private foundations,
and manages project-specific funds
to support America's 379 National
Parks and the mission of the National
Park Service. The Foundation generally
funds programs and projects which
respond to NPS priorities and meet
the following broad categories of
need:

Education
and outreach;

Natural resource conservation;

Historic preservation;

Visitor information services and
interpretive facilities;

Support for NPS volunteers and employees.

The
National Park Foundation is governed
by a Board of 22 distinguished national
civic and business leaders committed
to supporting the National Parks.
By Congressional charter, the Secretary
of the Interior is the Chairman of
the Board and the Director of the
National Park Service acts as Secretary.

Since
1990, the NPF has seen the fastest
growth in private support for National
Parks come from corporate partners.
The Foundation works hand in hand
with a company to match the needs
of the corporation with priority needs
in National Parks. Private funding
helps allow the park experience to
remain educational, diverse and memorable.

Corporate
partners help the NPF and NPS provide
the exceptional experience that millions
of National Park visitors enjoy each
year. Aurora Foods, Inc., has made
a long-term commitment to enhancing
the National Park experience through
NPF's "Restoration of America's Log
Cabins" program. Aurora Foods owns
the Log Cabin syrup brand.

There
are more than 700 log structures in
the National Parks. More than 400
of these structures are in need of
restoration work, and nearly all of
them meet the National Register of
Historic Places standards for historical
significance. If these structures
diminish, so does a part of American
history. With the funding from Aurora
Foods, the restoration of many of
these structures can go forward.

Did
You Know?

America's
379 National Parks receive more
than 265 million visits each year.

The National Park Service manages
more land, buildings, roads and
water systems than many state governments.

In the past five years, the National
Park Foundation has provided more
than $42 million in direct support
to the National Parks.